Days after making his first trade in nearly three years, Joe Dumars channeled his inner Fred Sanford.

"I'm coming home to you Elizabeth," he joked, in reference to the 1970s comedy "Sanford and Son," starring Redd Foxx.

Being able to actually consummate a deal was a feeling Dumars hadn't had in some time, so pardon his surprise when he shipped Ben Gordon and a future first-round pick to the Bobcats for Corey Maggette.

"We wanted to acquire someone to help us and wanted to put ourselves in a position of flexibility financially going forward," Dumars said of making his first deal since July 2009. "Sometimes those deals take a little longer to find than others."

The Pistons cleared nearly $15 million in cap space by trading Gordon, who had two years left on his deal. Maggette has an expiring contract, playing for perhaps his last good deal.

"Sometimes you find a guy who can help you but no financial flexibility or you find financial flexibility but the guy can't help you," Dumars said.